Lisa Marie Presley’s New Memoir Reveals the Fellow A-Lister That Drew Her Mom Priscilla to Scientology

Over the years, A-listers Tom Cruise and John Travolta have often made headlines. And while some of those are about their work in TV and film, lots of press about Cruise and Travolta revolves around their main thing in common: their connection to the Church of Scientology . In fact, in addition to being longtime members of the Church, a new account from Lisa Marie Presley ‘s memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown , shows they did some recruiting too.

Lisa Marie Presley's Long-Awaited Memoir Is Finally Here (& Approved by Oprah) -- 33% off Today

According to Lisa Marie’s memoir, which was completed by her daughter Riley Keough following her death, her mom Priscilla Presley was convinced by Travolta to join the religion. It all started when Travolta was invited by Priscilla as a surprise guest at Lisa Marie’s 10th birthday party in 1978.

“He was having a hot moment with Welcome Back, Kotter ,” she remembered of Travolta’s sitcom rise to fame, per Us Weekly . “He talked to her about Scientology, and a few days later, she joined.

Per Lisa Marie, her mom said Scientology “can help you become really powerful.” For Lisa Marie, the new religion gave her community for the first time. “It became my tribe,” she explained.

“My mom would drop me off after school at their building in Hollywood,” she recalled. “I felt like she was dumping me there so they could handle me, and she didn’t have to.”

Eventually, after dropping out of boarding schools, Lisa Marie began living in the Scientology Celebrity Centre. Lisa Marie, who had been open about her struggles with addiction in the past, then had “a four-day bender” on her first day.

After hitting a low point in her addiction, however, the Centre helped her get better. “They made me take care of somebody who came in legitimately addicted to drugs,” she remembered. “I became really close with that girl, really took her under my wing. … I really thrived taking care of her, helping somebody else.”

As a reminder, this isn’t the first time Lisa Marie’s been outspoken about her experience in Scientology since she left in 2013.

“Uncovering the fact that I was surrounded by people who were not well-intended, for one,” she said during an interview with USA Weekend about her reason for leaving. “Confidants [who were] very, very intimately and closely involved with me and my life. And had been for years. Basically, it was a big sinister situation, where there was like, kind of intel and covert ops going on, and a whole effort to control me that I didn’t know about. … It was just too much for me.”

More on her experience and her life are available in Lisa Marie’s new memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown .

Before you go, click here to see celebrities who have left the Church of Scientology.